Platypalpus aliterolamellatus Kovalev (Diptera, Hybotidae) new to Britain and Norway

The hybotid Platypalpus aliterolamellatus Kovalev, 1971 is recorded as a species new to the British Isles and Norway based on material obtained from exposed riverine sediments. The key to British Platypalpus is modified to accommodate this species. Whilst collecting flies from river shingle on the River Tummel in 2015, I swept two female specimens of Platypalpus aliterolamellatus Kovalev, 1971, which were identified using the key by Grootaert and Chvála (1992). This is the first record of this species in Britain. Both specimens were swept from the vegetated sand and shingle toe of Ballinluig Shingle Island (NN9753, MidPerthshire V.C. 88) on 9.vii.2015. Ballinluig Island is an extensive deposit of cobble, shingle and sand with various stages of vegetational development from bare substrate to closed canopy woodland. The site is well-known for its diverse assemblage of specialist insects of exposed riverine sediments. Other species of Platypalpus collected from the immediate area were P. candicans (Fallén) and P. interstinctus (Collin), whilst a single P. optivus (Collin) was swept off thinly vegetated loose sand higher up the bar; P. minutus (Meigen), P. notatus (Meigen), P. pallidiventris (Meigen), P. albifacies (Collin) and P. interstinctus were collected off nearby cobbles with scattered vegetation

Platypalpus ochrocera (Collin) (Diptera, Hybotidae) from exposed riverine sediments with a description of the female

Summary: The female of the hybotid Platypalpus ochrocera (Collin, 1961) is described and the relevant British and European keys are modified to take account of newly recognised characters. Distributional and ecological information on P. ochrocera is presented, and an apparent association with exposed riverine sediments discussed. Platypalpus velocipes Frey, 1943 is newly recorded for Slovakia. Introduction: In 2015 I operated emergence traps set on exposed riverine sediments on the King Water (NY525635), a tributary of the River Irthing in north Cumbria. Four standard soil emergence traps with a footprint of 60cm by 60cm were each set on different substrate types. A valance around the base of each trap was buried in the substrate, ensuring that all insects emerging from the soil surface within the trap were retained. At the apex of each trap, a collecting bottle containing 50% antifreeze was used to kill and preserve emergent individuals. The traps were operated from 7 June to 19 July and serviced on a weekly basis, apart from the final sample which covered a two week period. One trap was installed on loose, vegetated sand deposited on the riverbank and in the sample from this trap for the period 3-19 July were 30 specimens of Platypalpus ochrocera (14 males and 16 females). There were also seven specimens of P. interstinctus (Collin), two of P. niger (Meigen) and a single female P. articulatoides (Frey). I also swept 10 specimens (5 males and 5 females) of P. ochrocera from vegetated sandy shingle on the Ettrick Water, Selkirkshire (NT275144) on 15.viii.2015. Whilst the male specimens of P. ochrocera keyed out readily enough using Grootaert and Chvála (1992), the females were more problematic, running to P. articulatoides by dint of their darkened postpedicel, pale palpi and coxae, but lacking the distinctly annulated tarsi of that species. It is apparent that the key does not take account of the darkened postpedicel of female P. ochrocera and consequently female specimens of this species will not key out satisfactorily. Collin (1961) described P. ochrocera new to science from just a single male and a later account of the species (Chvála 1989) also appears to be based on male specimens only. There are no female specimens of P. ochrocera in the Chvála Collection at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, or in the collection of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow (I. Shamshev pers. comm.). It seems worthwhile to provide here a description of the female of P. ochrocera and to adapt the relevant parts of the British and European keys to take account of this new information on the characters of female P. ochrocera

An X-ray and Radio Study of the Varying Expansion Velocities in Tycho's Supernova Remnant

We present newly obtained X-ray and radio observations of Tycho's supernova remnant using {\it Chandra} and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in 2015 and 2013/14, respectively. When combined with earlier epoch observations by these instruments, we now have time baselines for expansion measurements of the remnant of 12-15 year in the X-rays and 30 year in the radio. The remnant's large angular size allows for proper motion measurements at many locations around the periphery of the blast wave. We find, consistent with earlier measurements, a clear gradient in the expansion velocity of the remnant, despite its round shape. The proper motions on the western and southwestern sides of the remnant are about a factor of two higher than those in the east and northeast. We showed in an earlier work that this is related to an offset of the explosion site from the geometric center of the remnant due to a density gradient in the ISM, and using our refined measurements reported here, we find that this offset is $\sim 23"$ towards the northeast. An explosion center offset in such a circular remnant has implications for searches for progenitor companions in other remnants.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Compliance With Protocols for Prevention of Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Sepsis: Practicalities and Limitations

Objective: To compare two protocols for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) against neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis, with respect to staff compliance, in a prospective cohort study in the obstetric units of a community hospital (A) and a university teaching hospital (B). Methods: Cohorts comprised about 500 women attending antenatal clinics at each hospital (total 1096). Women identified as GBS carriers at 26–32 weeks'gestation and those who had intrapartum clinical risk factors (CRF) were eligible for IAP. Compliance was defined as the proportion of women eligible for IAP who received it according to protocol–as determined by audit of case records–and compared between hospitals and according to indication. Results: Overall, 39% of women were eligible for IAP. Indications were GBS carriage alone (21%), CRF alone (13% ) and both (5% ). Compliance was similar for GBS carriers at both hospitals: 78% at Hospital A and 76% at Hospital B. However, because of the poor predictive value of screening before 32 weeks, only 65%of intrapartum GBS carriers actually received IAP. For women with CRF only, compliance was significantly lower at Hospital B than Hospital A (56 vs. 75%; p= 0.03). Conclusions: According to currently recommended protocols, about one-third of healthy women are eligible for intrapartum antibiotics to prevent neonatal GBS sepsis. In practice, antibiotics are often used inefficiently because of poor compliance with protocols and poor predictive values of selection criteria. Better implementation strategies should improve compliance, but GBS vaccines are needed to replace prophylactic antibiotic use, with its associated disadvantages

The Three-Dimensional Expansion of the Ejecta from Tycho's Supernova Remnant

We present the first three-dimensional measurements of the velocity of various ejecta knots in Tycho's supernova remnant, known to result from a Type Ia explosion. Chandra X-ray observations over a 12-year baseline from 2003 to 2015 allow us to measure the proper motion of nearly 60 "tufts" of Si-rich ejecta, giving us the velocity in the plane of the sky. For the line of sight velocity, we use two different methods: a non-equilibrium ionization model fit to the strong Si and S lines in the 1.2-2.8 keV regime, and a fit consisting of a series of Gaussian lines. These methods give consistent results, allowing us to determine the red or blue shift of each of the knots. Assuming a distance of 3.5 kpc, we find total velocities that range from 2400 to 6600 km s$^{-1}$, with a mean of 4430 km s$^{-1}$. We find several regions where the ejecta knots have overtaken the forward shock. These regions have proper motions in excess of 6000 km s$^{-1}$. Some Type Ia supernova explosion models predict a velocity asymmetry in the ejecta. We find no such velocity asymmetries in Tycho, and discuss our findings in light of various explosion models, favoring those delayed detonation models with relatively vigorous and symmetrical deflagrations. Finally, we compare measurements with models of the remnant's evolution that include both smooth and clumpy ejecta profiles, finding that both ejecta profiles can be accommodated by the observations.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Some figures slightly degraded to reduce file siz

Aquatic treadmill running reduces muscle soreness following intense sprint exercise in trained men

Delayed onset muscle soreness is associated with muscle damage, disturbances in proprioception, and decreases in muscular power. The purpose was to determine if short duration aquatic treadmill (ATM) running reduces muscle soreness following intense sprint exercise in trained men. Twenty trained men (180.3±4.4cm, 86.3±5.8kg, 20±1yr) were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: ATM recovery (ATMRec) and passive recovery (PRec). During testing, subjects performed a warm-up followed by sixteen 110yrd cutback runs with a sprint of 60yrds, sharp change of direction, and a return sprint of 50yrds. Work to rest ratio was set at 1:3. Additionally, following exercise, the ATMRec group performed ATM running using a HydroWorx® treadmill at 5mph, 50% maximal jet resistance, and water(33°C) level at chest depth for 10min. Both groups then evaluated their level of soreness/pain using a numerical rating scale (NRS: 0-10, 0=no pain, 10=worst pain) immediately following all exercise (IPE), 24h, and 48h post exercise in the following regions: ARMS, LEGS, BACK, CHEST, SHOULDERS, HIPS, ABDOMEN, NECK, OVERALL. Data were analyzed for group x time interactions using a 2x3 Generalized Linear Mixed Model for non-parametric data (α≤0.05). For significant interactions, the same procedure was used to analyze between group differences at the same measurement timepoint(α≤0.05)

Membranous expression of Her3 is associated with a decreased survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) still remains a lethal malignancy benefiting from the identification of the new target for early detection and/or development of new therapeutic regimens based on a better understanding of the biological mechanism for treatment. The overexpression of Her2 and Her3 receptors have been identified in various solid tumors, but its prognostic relevance in HNSCC remains controversial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three hundred eighty-seven primary HNSCCs, 20 matching metasis and 17 recurrent HNSCCs were arrayed into tissue microarrays. The relationships between Her2 and Her3 protein expression and clinicopathological parameters/survival of HNSCC patients were analyzed with immunohistochemistry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Her3 is detected as either a cytoplasmic or a membranous dominant expression pattern whereas Her2 expression showed uniform membranous form. In primary tumor tissues, high membranous Her2 expression level was found in 104 (26.9%) cases while positive membranous and cytoplasmic Her3 expression was observed in 34 (8.8%) and 300 (77.5%) samples, respectively. Membranous Her2 expression was significantly associated with histological grade (<it>P </it>= 0.021), as grade 2 tumors showed the highest positive expression. Membranous Her3 over-expression was significantly prevalent in metastatic tissues compared to primary tumors (<it>P </it>= 0.003). Survival analysis indicates that membranous Her3 expression is significantly associated with worse overall survival (<it>P </it>= 0.027) and is an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.23; <it>P </it>= 0.040).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that membranous Her3 expression is strongly associated with poor prognosis of patients with HNSCC and is a potential candidate molecule for targeted therapy.</p